#ClassicalMusic Pianist Ann Schein has died at 86. Celebrated for her Chopin interpretations, she performed with major orchestras worldwide and taught for decades at Peabody Conservatory. Her artistry and mentorship leave a lasting legacy. #Obituary #Piano

#Culture Jackie Chan will make his opera directing debut with a new *Turandot* at the 2026 Festival Puccini, blending martial arts, ritual movement, and immersive visuals. The production opens after a China tour this May. #Opera #JackieChan

#Music Kip Winger’s new album *Symphony of the Returning Light* is out on Naxos American Classics, featuring world-premiere recordings with the Nashville Symphony led by Giancarlo Guerrero, plus violin concerto *In the Language of Flowers*. #ClassicalMusic #NewRelease

#MusicReview Australian Brandenburg Orchestra opened its 2026 Melbourne season with “Choral Splendour,” delivering Bach, Handel and more in a spirited, polished program at Melbourne Recital Centre. Standouts included the choir, soloists and thrilling brass. #ClassicalMusic #Melbourne

#MusicReview Divisi’s “Human Instrument” turned Temperance Hall into a showcase of vocal daring and precision. From playful experiments to powerful new works, the sextet delivered a thrilling, expertly curated night. Worth catching next time. #ClassicalMusic #BlueskyArts

#Music Mai Khôi turned a childhood dream into a standout career—studying with her father, joining his wedding band at 12, and winning Vietnam Television honors for song and album of the year in 2010. Curious to explore more? #Activism #Vietnam

#Music Mendelssohn’s *Ruy Blas* Overture was born from a challenge: though he disliked Victor Hugo’s drama, he wrote the piece in record time—and turned its gloom into sparkling, theatrical energy. Worth a listen. #ClassicalMusic #Mendelssohn

#Music Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-flat Major, Op. 10, shines in this performance by Evgeny Kissin with the Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Claudio Abbado. A standout for classical fans. #ClassicalMusic #Prokofiev

#Music Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, founder of the Tölzer Boys’ Choir and its conductor for six decades, has died at 88. He also served at La Scala Milan and taught chorus conducting at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. #ClassicalMusic #Obituary

#Arts A critic’s week in culture: Wayne McGregor’s “Alchemies” impresses more than it moves, Pavel Kolesnikov captivates at Wigmore Hall, Jonathan Hayward lifts the LPO, and “The Authenticator” sparks debate despite feeling contrived. #Ballet #Theatre

#Music Czech organist Lukáš Hurtík, founder of the Moravian Organ Festival and a devoted interpreter of J.S. Bach, has died at 48 after a long battle with leukaemia. He also taught at the Leoš Janáček Conservatory in Ostrava. #ClassicalMusic #Obituary

#News Spanish conductor Víctor Eloy López Cerezo has died at 43 after cancer. The Gran Canaria Philharmonic and Teatro Real colleagues remember his close artistic work and lasting impact on Spain’s classical music scene. #ClassicalMusic #Obituary

#Music Opera magazine reports the death of longtime associate editor Max Loppert at 79. A former Financial Times music critic, he also wrote on Gluck and *Telemaco*. He died at his home in Italy’s Veneto region. #Opera #Obituary

#ClassicalMusic Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw launches Mind the Gap! (June 15–21), a new festival spotlighting underrepresented Black composers from Europe, the Americas and Africa, with Chineke! and the Concertgebouw Orchestra. Worth watching. #Arts #Bluesky

#Education The Royal Academy of Music is under scrutiny after reports its widening participation scheme excludes private-school applicants, prioritizing under-represented students. A debate over access vs merit in music education is growing. #Music #UKNews

#Music Lang Lang brought a piano lesson to students near the Yellow River in Gansu, turning their handwritten notes into improvised melodies and ending with Mozart’s Turkish March. A joyful reminder that music can feel immediate and shared. #ClassicalMusic #Education

#Music Martha Argerich has withdrawn from the May 3 Philharmonie concert in Paris with Ivo Pogorelich, where both were set to perform Chopin concertos. The venue cited a prior commitment tied to the Arthur Rubinstein Competition. Audience reaction has been strong. #ClassicalMusic #Paris

#Music Apollo’s Fire returns to the UK for a short tour, including a St Martin-in-the-Fields residency and a stop at Snape Maltings. Expect Baroque, folk, and Middle Eastern influences across a varied lineup of concerts. #ClassicalMusic #London

#Music Helen Hopekirk, the acclaimed Scottish pianist-composer born in Peebles, is being celebrated with a new festival in Glasgow and Edinburgh on 18–24 May 2026. Concerts, talks and a young musicians’ competition aim to revive her legacy. #ClassicalMusic #Scotland

#Music Lewes Chamber Music Festival returns 11–14 June 2026, led by Beatrice Philips. The program celebrates Kurtág’s centenary with Bach, Schumann, Brahms, Ravel, Britten and more—plus locally sourced refreshments and standout cake. #ClassicalMusic #Festival

#Music Sinfonia Cymru is bringing free, family-friendly live music to communities across Wales this spring, with concerts in village halls, cafés, care homes and more. The under-30 ensemble also tours Latin American and French programmes. Worth bookmarking. #Wales #ClassicalMusic

#Art Renell Shaw brings *The Windrush Suite* and *Echo in the Bones* to Kings Place on 25 June in their first full live ensemble performance—blending jazz, spoken word and storytelling to explore Windrush legacy, Black British identity and belonging. #Music #Bluesky

#ClassicalMusic New Chandos release *Through the Centuries* reframes Madeleine Dring as a serious, finely crafted song composer. Kitty Whately and Julius Drake bring depth, wit and emotional focus to a too-often misunderstood voice. #MadeleineDring #AlbumReview

#Culture King’s Lynn Festival marks its 75th anniversary in 2026 with two weeks of music, talks and exhibitions, celebrating the historic Guildhall of St George and a lineup featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Boris Giltburg and more. #Music #UKArts

#Music Jasdeep Singh Degun has been named Barbican artist-in-residence for 2026/27, with three major events including a new Sitar Concerto, a Darbar Festival appearance, and the London premiere of his cross-cultural Orpheus. A big moment for UK music. #ClassicalMusic #London

#MusicReview MOURN fused Balkan and Eastern Mediterranean folk with Monteverdi, Strozzi, Cesti and Gesualdo in a gripping, theatrical meditation on loss. Vivid singing and bold programming made unlikely pairings feel inevitable. #ClassicalMusic #Opera

#ClassicalMusic Zlatomir Fung’s Shanghai debut with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra—performing Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 under Zhang Lu—is now available on video. A standout moment from his wider Asia tour. Worth a watch? Share your thoughts. #Cello #MusicNews

#Music Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music announced the death of former dean Charles H. Webb at 93. A transformative leader and accomplished musician, he helped shape the school for decades and left a lasting mark on Indiana’s cultural life. #ClassicalMusic #Obituary

#Music Houston Chamber Choir honored Houston Methodist’s Center for Performing Arts Medicine with Eric Whitacre’s *The Sacred Veil*—a moving tribute to caregivers, healing, and the power of the arts in medicine. #ClassicalMusic #Healthcare

#ClassicalMusic Prague National Theatre has named conductor Robert Kružík as its next music director, effective August 2028. A rising force in Czech music, he succeeds Robert Jindra in the role. What do you make of the appointment? #Opera #News